These images were taken at Brodsworth Hall, South Yorkshire, using the D300s with the Nikkor 18 – 200 VR lens. The camera was hand held in programme mode.
The first 20 images were taken in Portrait orientation, with the second 20 in Landscape format of the same vistas.
These contact sheets were processed in Adobe Bridge, and then converted to JPEGs in Photoshop.
I’m probably going too far with this, but I think it’d be a good exercise to compare the results of the two formats for each scene.
The obvious portrait format would be the one to use for this statue, but I think the landscape format gives a better sense of perspective and place.
The portrait format for this view is more pleasing to me. It gives more of the feeling of distance – please ignore the manhole cover in the foreground (I’ll clone it out later!)
These trees suit the portrait format, as it enhances the line of the trunks and gives more of an impression of height.
Again, the portrait format works best, accentuating the form of the large topiary shape and using the hedges to frame it. The landscape image takes in too much of the hedges, which I think are quite uninteresting.
I’m not happy with either of these images, probably because they’re both quite flat and have too much distortion due to the wide angle lens.
Portrait format is better here, accentuating the verticals and hiding some of the other ‘distracting’ topiary shapes.
On balance I think the portrait version is best on the basis that ‘less is more’ The landscape version has too much going on to give a point of focus whereas the vertical format leads the eye to the tiered shrub in the background.
The lady gardener is somewhat lost in the horizontal format image, but I find this format more pleasing, due to the variety of colours which have not been caught in the portrait image.
The simplicity of the portrait format pleases me more here. In the landscape image the eye is drawn to the leaning tree in the foreground and the additional detail detracts from the fountain, which is obviously the point of interest in the image.
Looking back towards the hall I prefer the portrait format again, as the lines leading to the house are more prominent. Also I’m not happy with the slope of the horizon which is more pronounced in the landscape format.
I deserve to be taken out and thrashed for spoiling this image – it should have been taken so that everything is symmetrical, just by moving further back and to the right. As they stand the landscape is slightly better as the hall isn’t obscured as much.
See what I mean? With this laburnum archway the landscape format works better by framing the hall better. In the portrait format the laburnum takes up too much of the image.
I think the landscape format works better for this view of the Japanese garden too. It makes the road look longer, by including more of the ivy fence.
The vertical format tells the viewer that this plant is perched on a ledge, whereas the landscape format just shows it growing in gravel.
The eye is drawn towards the folly much better in the portrait format. The lines of the steps and the road are not distracted by the extra detail that is evident in the landscape format.
The vertical format image doesn’t feel as ‘warm’ as the landscape image. Maybe it’s because the white sky and haze in the trees makes the portrait format seem cooler, or maybe it’s just that there are more warm colours if the horizontal image. Whatever the reason, the landscape format is more inviting.
Back to the hall again where the portrait image accentuates the height of the building and also cuts out some of the blocked of windows that are seen in the landscape format.
This one works better in landscape where the regressing line of dogs gives much more feeling of depth.
I think I prefer the vertical format here. I can’t say why, but it’s probably due to the composition which is better presented on the thirds (wash my mouth out!)
The portrait format gives more of an impression of height. The image in the landscape view looks more defined, but it may be just due to the closer zoom being used.
So that was a good exercise. It makes me think a bit more about the camera angle, although I think I’ve varied it quite naturally before this.
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